Assam: Principals of Three Colleges Facing Criticism for Joining ABVP
Three principals of colleges in Assam have come under fire after they reportedly joined the ABVP. Image Courtesy: Facebook
Three college principals in Assam have been criticised for joining the student wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Akhil Bharatiya Vidya Parishad (ABVP).
As per a photo posted by ABVP Assam on X (formerly Twitter), principals of JB College in Jorhat, North Lakhimpur College in Lakhimpur, and Gurucharan College in Silchar took the membership of the student organisation.
Various student organisations and political parties have called out the principals for "compromising their neutrality and impartiality."
Sivasagar MLA and Raijor Dal chief Akhil Gogoi called the decision of the principals to join ABVP "deeply concerning," which can "jeopardise the academic atmosphere" in these colleges.
"How can principals of educational institutions join a political organisation? This is a clear case of conflict of interest," Gogoi asked.
These decisions become particularly important because a college principal was suspended a few days ago for participating in a protest. The suspended principal, Dr Mukunda Sharma of Bhawanipur Anchalik College, had taken part in a protest against the delimitation exercise being carried out by the Election Commission.
Assam Trinamool Youth Congress president Bandit Dutta also called out the principals.
"This is a clear violation of the norms of neutrality that are expected of principals of educational institutions," Dutta said.
“How can a professor in a government college continue to serve as the president of a sister organisation of a political party? What is actually happening in the state? Has the state government not noticed this?” Dutta further said.
Moreover, Dutta asked why no action had been taken against these three principals.
Get the latest reports & analysis with people's perspective on Protests, movements & deep analytical videos, discussions of the current affairs in your Telegram app. Subscribe to NewsClick's Telegram channel & get Real-Time updates on stories, as they get published on our website.
